Last night we brought you the cases of two men who claim they were brutalized by police, both of them said they were shot for no justifiable reason. Tonight the catalogue of complaints against the police continues to mount as a San Ignacio man, Emile Pinelo is in serious condition at the Belmopan hospital after allegedly being beaten by policemen in San Ignacio town. The damage to his internal organs was so bad, a section of his small intestine had to be removed. Alfonso Noble today spoke to Emile Pinelo's brother Benjamin who recounted the events that landed Emile in the hospital:
Alfonso Noble Reporting
32 year old emile pinelo is laid up in a bed in the belmopan hospital and his brother benjamin shows us a 25 inch section of his brother's small intestine that had to be surgically removed after being brutally beaten by police officers in San Ignacio town.
Benjamin says that at around 12 on monday morning he dropped off his brother at his parents home and left only to be called minutes later to be told that his younger brother was being arrested and in the process beaten.
Benjamin Pinelo – Emile's Brother
"He said that he grabbed him by the throat and told him that it was him he wanted him a long time ago and he slammed him down. By the time he was on the ground the police punched him and burst his nose. So when the boys saw blood, because his mouth and his nose were bleeding, they began to shout for my mother. My mother lives upstairs. So my mom and dad came down in nightgowns and my dad was asking what was going on with my son, what were they doing with my son. He said the police pushed him away and told him to stay back or he would be charged with obstructing the police and that he would get his share too."
But while Emile's father was not beaten he was. They continued to beat on him and he was dragged into the police mobile and taken to the San Ignacio police station all the while he was being beaten while under cuffs. His ordeal was not to end there however, when he arrived at the police station the horror intensified
Benjamin Pinelo
"They took him to the police station. They took him to the back and kicked him up and lashed him in his head. When he fell they kicked him up in his stomach. That is what caused the injuries that he is going through right now."
"I did not see because if I had seen it would have probably been different I would have been a part of it because I would have tried to defend my brother in any way."
And he did defend his brother. Benjamin says at the police station he had discussions with two junior officers who were at the station at the time for 45 minutes to get his brother out to seek medical attention but he was unable to do so. It was not until a corporal came along that he was able to seek the attention his brother needed.
Benjamin Pinelo
"I asked them if I could see my brother and they refused for me to come and see my brother at the back where he was being held. By this time they had taken the handcuffs off him and they were trying to get him into the cell and he refused to get into the cell. At this time he heard me so he came to the door where I could see him. He came to a place where I could see him and he said get me out of here because they are beating me. He then bent over and he began to vomit blood and the prisoners began to shout at me to get my brother out of here. Those guys kicked him up and he was vomiting blood. They told me to come and see where they were washing the blood. They said all the blood was on the ground that he was vomiting. They said that they were throwing water on it with a bucket. They said to come and see it, to bring someone to come and see it because they beat up your little brother, all of them were shouting. I told them that they had beaten up my brother and I asked what had they done with him. I told them that we needed to get this man to the hospital. They said they had no authority to take him to the hospital. I said well you have to call an officer or somebody because I will not end until I take this man out of here. What if something else happens to this man in here, what if he dies or something? They said well what happens will happen."
"By that time a corporal come across the park and came to the police station. I told him, corporal look at the condition of this man, we need to take this man to the doctor." when he saw the condition of my brother, he started to fill out the medical form. By that time the patrol vehicle came back and the two officers walked in and looked at us. As they walked in they told my father, you are lucky I don't arrest you too. My father said well you could arrest me if you want to I am already at the station you can arrest me if you want to. So the corporal told him calm down right. He told the officer calm down. My brother told him it's you, you who beat me up. He looked at my brother and bowed his head.
After having confronted the officers identified as P.C. 903 Cyril Wade and constable 666 Clayton Marin Emil was taken to the Belmopan hospital under the escort of the corporal. Once there an examination was conducted and Emile was to be released into police custody. That however did not occur as Benjamin requested further observation for his brother.
Benjamin Pinelo
"When we reached at the hospital the dressed up the man, they take care of him and the doctor touched him up and everything and the corporal said I will take him back. I said man you can take my brother like this, they need to keep this man for observation so I plea to the doctor and said doctor could you please keep this man over night for observation. The doctor said I see no problem with that once its o.k. with the corporal. The corporal said well its o.k. with me. That's how come they keep the man at the hospital the night. In the morning about minutes to 8 I got a call from the policeman who was guarding him. He said Mr. Pinelo you have to come right now because we have to take your brother for an ultrasound because he is has too much pain in the abdomen. The doctor request that you give him an ultrasound. I said o.k. I'll come right now. So I come to the hospital and loaded up my brother in the pickup and took him to Loma Luz. He get the ultrasound and everything, by the time the ultrasound came out the doctor mesa come to us and said Mr. Pinelo your brother needs to get surgery immediately because he is messed up inside so he has to get surgery immediately."
Emile was taken to the San Ignacio hospital from where he was referred to the Belmopan hospital where he underwent his surgery, a surgery that cost him 25 inches of his small intestine.
Benjamin Pinelo
"They had to take out a large portion of his intestine and he is considered in critical condition at this time. The doctor said that due to the trauma to the intestine or blunt trauma, like the point of the shoes. That is what he explained to us like the point of your shoes to the intestine caused severe injury to the intestine where the intestine could not be repaired and because of the time where we hesitate to give him medical attention, the guts, the intestines started to die. The tissues started to die and started to collapse. When he explored, he operated to explore, he found this large section already black where it was bruised where no fluid was going through no circulation, no blood circulation due to the trauma due to the impact due to the bruises."
Now Benjamin is thankful that he intervened in his brother's behalf to get medical attention he says that had he not done so things would have turned out a lot worse.
Benjamin Pinelo
"He would have been dead by now. He would have been dead by now."
But while he is not and since the family now has time to consider the events that occurred on that faithful Monday morning Pinelo is shocked that these kinds of actions actually occur at the hand of policemen.
Benjamin Pinelo
"I used to hear it over the TV, I use to hear it over the news and I used to think it was not right for anybody. I never at no time expected it to happen to my family right. So I was in a deep shock and I am still, I am still very upset about the injuries that my brother received and how the policemen performed their duty. Because if he was arrested and handcuffed and taken and locked down it would not have happened. But why under handcuff beat this man so bad to cause this kind of injury. Like I said i cannot hold the whole police force responsible or what the commissioner of police responsible for what one person did. But yes I call it police burtality and I'm totally against it. And I would like, my whole family would like for this thing to come to a... for this thing to finish. For this kind of behaviour to stop. And what i'm upset about at this morning the two officers were arrested yesterday according to the commissioner of police and they were charged this morning and they were granted bail for 10 thousand dollars and they don't know the condition of my brother. And this is what i'm upset about. You can't call these men officers anymore, you call them criminals. Because even the commissioner of police said that he consider them as criminal persons he will deal with them as criminals, he won't deal with them as police officers. He guaranteed me, he assured me that these persons would have been arrested and dealt with as criminals. I'm pleased with the job of the commisioner as to act so fast but then i'm upset that they give them bail."
And while the police officers Cyril Wade and Clayton Marin are facing the consequences of their actions, the Pinelo family are not resting easy since Emile is still in recovery.
Benjamin Pinelo
"Well like the doctor told me, mr. pinelo your brother is out of surgery he made it out o.k but we don't know if he is going to make it out of the hospital because complications could occur. He says just pray that everything goes well. And that is what we are trying to do. We are trying to unite together right now and just hope that every thing goes well. And I would like, i'll say it again, my whole family would like to see these persons. I would have preferred to see them locked up. I am afraid to see them out on the streets because it could upset me that i have to do something against it. Something has to be done before somebody else gets killed, before the policemen they kill somebody else."
And from the recent incidents that have come to the pubic's attention, that is definitely a genuine concern.
The two officers Cyril Wade, who's been a policeman for 3 years and Clayton Marin, who's been in the department for two years, were today taken to magistrate's court where they were charged with dangerous harm. Despite objections from the prosecutor they were offered and met bail in the sum of 10 thousand dollars each. Their case was adjourned until October 14th.